Method and system for rating a packet based communication

Abstract

A method and system for rating a packet based telephone call determines a source, and optionally a destination location of an Internet Protocol (IP) telephone call based on information contained within a call detail record. The locations are used to rate the call into any of a number of categories including local and long distance. In the case of hybrid calls which are packet based in part but which also traverse the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), the method and system can identify the call as a gateway based call and rate the call appropriately.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for rating a packet based communication, the method comprising the steps of: 
 extracting a first portion of data from a detail record corresponding a packet based communication, wherein the first portion contains at least a first network address;    extracting a second portion of data from the detail record, wherein the second portion contains at least a second network address;    retrieving a mapping, wherein the mapping relates the first network address to a first location and the second network address to a second location; and    rating the packet based communication in a service class based on at least the first location and the second location.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first network address is an Internet Protocol (IP) address and the second network address is a gateway between a digital network and an analog network.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first network address and second network address are both Internet Protocol (IP) addresses.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the service class is selected from the group consisting of directory assistance, toll free, 900/976 numbers, emergency, intra service (on site), intra service (off site), inter service, local calls, long distance domestic calls, long distance international calls, and international calls.  
     
     
         5 . A method for rating a packet based telephone call and assigning the call to a user, the method comprising the steps of: 
 extracting a first portion of data from a detail record corresponding to a packet based communication, wherein the first portion contains at least a first network address representing a first station;    extracting a second portion of data from the detail record, wherein the second portion contains at least a second network address representing a second station;    extracting a third portion of data from the detail record, wherein the third portion contains at least a first device identifier associated with the first station;    retrieving a first mapping, wherein the first mapping relates the first network address to a first location and the second network address representing a second station;    rating the packet based communication in a service class based on at least the first location and the second location;    retrieving a second mapping, wherein the second mapping relates the first device identifier with a user; and    assigning the communication to the user.    
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the first network address is an Internet Protocol (IP) address and the second network address is a gateway between a digital network and an analog network.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the first network address and second network address are both Internet Protocol (IP) addresses.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the device identifier is a Media Access Control (MAC) address.  
     
     
         9 . A method for rating a call in a packet based environment having at least one packet based telephony gateway, the method comprising the steps of: 
 extracting a first portion of data from a call detail record corresponding to a packet based telephone call, wherein the first portion contains at least a first network address;    extracting a second portion of data from the call detail record, wherein the second portion contains at least a directory number;    relating the first network address to a first location;    relating the directory number to a second location; and    rating the call in a service class based on at least the first location and the second location.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the first network address is an Internet Protocol (IP) address.  
     
     
         11 . A method for rating a packet based telephone call, the method comprising the steps of: 
 extracting a first portion of data from a record corresponding to a packet based telephone call, wherein the first portion contains at least a first network address representing a first station;    extracting a second portion of data from the record, wherein the second portion contains at least a directory number;    extracting a third portion of data from the record, wherein the third portion contains at least a first device identifier associated with the first station;    relating the first network address to a first location;    relating the directory number to a second location;    rating the call to place the call in a service class based on at least the first location and the second location;    relating the first device identifier with a user; and    assigning the call to the user.    
     
     
         12 . A method for rating a communication that is transmitted over a packet based network comprising the steps of: 
 determining a source identifier for a communication that is transmitted over a packet based network;    determining a destination identifier for a communication; and    rating the communication based on a relation of the source identifier to the destination identifier.